The internet can be a great ally or a formidable foe — it all depends on how adept you are at protecting your information. A cybersecurity expert offers guidance.

We live in a world where every move we make on our digital devices — what we watch, read and like — leaves a digital trail that is followed by companies, and yes, even the government (India’s Central Monitoring System (CMS), is designed to monitor communication and to intercept it ‘lawfully’).

Even if you’re among those who believe Big Brother’s surveillance is for your own good, you can’t turn a blind eye to how vulnerable we all are to cybercrime. According to a 2015 cybersecurity report by Norton, as many as 49 per cent of internet users in India are affected by it.

Jagdish Mahapatra, MD, McAfee (India), a computer security software company, will be speaking about the subject at a TEDxGateway event on February 4, at the National Sports Club of India. He lists some dangers and recommends precautions.

Public Wi-Fi, more public than you think

“It is remarkably easy to intercept data on a public Wi-Fi system,” says Mahapatra. So, accessing your online banking accounts on these networks are a strict no-no. Mahapatra also warns that seemingly innocuous details such as the passwords to your Facebook or email account can be loaded guns in the hands of cybercriminals (more on that below). If you must use public Wi-Fi regularly, Mahapatra recommends using virtual private networks (VPNs), rather than connecting to the server directly. These encrypt data before transmitting it. You can pay for monthly subscriptions to VPN services (popular ones include IPVanish, Tiger VPN and Safer VPN). “Even if the data shared via a VPN is intercepted, it is scrambled so that it cannot be interpreted unless the recipient has the key.”

Your password isn’t all that complex

“Most people use a select few passwords to manage all their accounts. This makes it relatively easy for a hacker to crack into your account. You must be mindful of the fact that an invested hacker can easily track all your online activity, including the websites you visited, any online purchases you made, the videos you watched and even the places you visited, via your Google account. Should the hacker break into your personal email account, he/she can access your bank statements, your PAN and Aadhaar cards and any other sensitive information stored there. You can also be locked out of your own account as the hacker manipulates your data. The interconnectivity that is enabled by social logins can prove to be a major disadvantage,” Mahapatra explains. He recommends using advanced security measures such as password generators to create random passwords for different websites.

Apps may share what you wouldn’t

Most smartphone users are hooked to apps, which let you book a ride, order food, get your home cleaned and even manage your finances on the fly. But these pose a significant security risk. “Apps that do not come from verified sources could be infected with malware,” Mahapatra explains. “About 38 per cent of attacks on Indian mobile users involve mobile adware. Sharing any data from an infected phone could also infect the recipient’s phone. Besides, even highly-rated and well-known apps can become a source of security breaches. Our research shows that mobile app developers often fail to patch critical Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) vulnerabilities, and this can potentially impact millions of mobile phone users,” says Mahapatra.

To protect yourself, he recommends starting by deleting all the apps that you do not use. “Make sure your phone’s privacy settings are at a high level and install a good quality antivirus on your phone. In case of apps from reputed sources, make sure you read and understand the app’s privacy policy and are aware of what data you are sharing on the app and how it will be used.”

Most reputed websites have security measures — such as a two-step identification process — to secure transactions. The same is not true, however, for mobile apps. So, it goes without saying: never access a banking app on a public Wi-Fi network.”

Updates are vital

Using outdated operating systems and software versions can expose your system to security threats, Mahapatra says. “It’s common for mobile users to defer updates. We have found that 23 per cent of Android users do not have updated software on their phones. Software that is no longer supported by the manufacturer — whether pirated or outdated — may be especially vulnerable to cyberattacks,” says Mahapatra. In the WannaCry ransomware attack that infected Microsoft Windows systems worldwide around May last year, hackers targeted older system releases. Mahapatra, therefore, cautions against turning off automatic updates. “Update your software and operating systems as soon as newer versions become available,” he says.

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